Hovr. id, i960.ll 
FOREST AND STHfiAM, 
878 
loves the sport. After a few such trips across the country, 
over low jumps, the fences are raised, and the old horse 
is dispensed with. He generally by this time understands 
the work, and goes about it thoroughly. His faults in 
form are carefully corrected, and the finishing touches 
put on him, one of which includes generally "dockmg" 
his tail. 
Sometimes it is said that to jump a horse is cruel, 
that it is an exercise which is foreign to his nature; but 
no greater mistake could possibly be made than for one 
instant to believe such to be the case. Any one who has 
ridden a well-bred, high-slrung horse at a big jump, and 
who has felt the quiver of excitement pass over the noble 
brute: who has felt hmi gather his mighty muscles for 
the leap, and setting his ears forward and taking the bit 
in his teeth, make that irrestistible rush before the actual 
spring is made, cannot think anything but that he loves 
it as well as his rider. 
By the time all the details of his training have been 
mastered and he has proved himself up to all that was 
expected of him, he is taken to his first meet. This ex- 
perience is generally marked also by many exciting hap- 
penings. He is all of a fidget, anyhow, at 5 in the morn- 
ing, when the sun's rays haven't even begun to appear 
and the frost and mist are yet hanging over everything. 
The slow ride of a mile or so in this bracing weather only 
serves to wake him thoroughly. How he wishes for a 
: gallop to warm him up! But his rider, who, this time, is 
generally his owner, won't let him. He is in a very mis- 
'chievous humor when the place where the club is to 
meet is reached, and after he gets there the blast of the 
;fox horn and the baying of the hounds succeed in pro- 
woking him into a spasm of terror, which he generally 
(displays by performing the most fearful and wonderful 
"bucks," that sometimes would put a Texas broncho to 
Ihis trumps to equal. After a while he is quieted, and the 
<dogs are put into the covert where Reynard is supposed 
ito be. The old hunters stand still, but with their ears 
ipricked up for the first deep note of the hound who 
"finds." He doesn't see how they can be so unconcerned. 
He fidgets, rears and pulls, while his owner endeavors to 
soothe him. While he is standing still for the first second 
.since he has been there, a wild chorus from the hounds 
crashes into the morning silence, a long, red something 
breaks out of the covert on the far side and lays a course 
toward the mountains, 12 miles away, the huntsmen rise 
in their stirrups as one man and give the "view halloo," 
and he— well, he forgets everything. He is conscious of 
a rush of horses' hoofs, a stampede at a high stone wall, 
which he clears with 18 inches to spare, for the art of 
husbanding his strength he has not yet learned and will 
not until taught by experience. 
He is mad for the first three or four fields.' So pro- 
voking that the quiet hand on his reins won't let him 
go! He is sure he could pass the hounds and catch the 
fox himself if his rider would only give the chance. 
But after he has laid a mile or so behind him, he gives 
up his wild plunges and settles down to the long, rapid, 
, untiring gallop of the other older horses, taking each 
i fence as it comes with just an inch or so to spare, and 
; picking out the easiest gaps and best jumps, which latter 
)he is aided in doing by his rider, who, like the true 
r sportsman, knows too much to tax his horse's powers by 
■/Tiding over the biggest jumps, thereby running a risk of 
ikilling his ambition in his first hunt. He is pulled 
rslowly in to the death, and is glad enough to stand and 
icatch ,his "breeze" while the master of hounds is getting 
vfhe ifux from the dogs and taking its brush. 
^uch is his first hunt. Thereafter the note of the 
ihound on the trail is his sweetest music, and the blast 
of the horn and the "view halloo" his ambition to hear. 
Old horses turned out in the fields, to pass their declin- 
ing years, have been known to follow a hunt as they fly 
by, taking every jump and coming in at the death with 
the rest. 
Beside fox hunting, polo, shooting, ball games and 
; all the other games do not deserve the name of sport. 
"Every quality that it cultivates is good, requiring, as it 
t'does, undoubted skill, physical courage and strength, all 
lof which are numbered among the highest virtues. No 
'sjsort causes the same degree of excitement as does the 
rscene before the start and the exhilarating feeling when, 
'On .a good mount, you ride over the fields and fences to 
the music of the pack in advance. In conclusion, the 
advice of an old huntsman, down in the section of Vir- 
ginia previousl}' described may not be out of place. An 
amateur was askinug him "how to learn to fox hunt." 
The old fellow looked pityingly at him, and said; "Son, 
; the best way I know is to throw your heart over the fence 
and ride after it/^ 
The Blandford Fox Hunt, 
The second annual fox hunt of the Blandford, Mass., 
'Fox Club was held Oct. 31 and Nov. i. If possible, the 
•event was one of even greater pleasure than that of last 
year. There were twenty-five participants in the hunt, 
and they were rewarded with four brushes for their day's 
work. The driving was not extremely good, the wind 
■affecting the dogs so that they could not keep the trail. 
The hunters assembled at 8 o'clock and went to North 
.■street, letting loose the dogs at the house of C. R. Ripley. 
Thirteen dogs were cast off toward North Blandford. 
During the first hour Clarence W. Bates corraled the 
first fox. and this was the only one captured during the 
morning, though the dogs followed several unsuccessful 
trails. In the afternoon E. H. Williams, of Southwick, 
fell upon another fox • at about 2 o'clock near Lewis 
Nye's hill. George Jones, of Blandford, -\vith seven dogs, 
got another fox, and Charles Clark, of Chester, was the 
last successful hunter. H. L. Herrick and Levi Dayton 
both saw foxes and got a shot at them, but sometliing 
was the matter vvith the guns, and the foxes are still 
alive. 
The dog which was so conspicuous in last j'ear's hunt 
had an exciting escapade a few days ago which put him 
out of business for this hunt, and there was little holing 
this 3-ear. This dog is said to have holed a fox and got 
wedged into the hole, He remained there for nine days 
until he grew so poor that he was able to turn arottnd in 
the hole and thus escape an awful death. The other dogs 
were very erratic yesterday as a rule, and many rabbits 
were followed in place of the foxes. 
The hunters returned late in the afternoon weary and 
hungry, and were enthusiastic for the banquet of the 
evening, which was prepared under great difficulties by 
Landlord Oatley. 
The Blandford fox hunt was brought to a successful 
close Thursday, Nov. i, and at least two more brushes 
were added to those secured the day before. The Lloyd 
family was prominent in the sport of Thursday, and 
George B. and Virgil Lloyd each brought down a fox. 
The hunters covered the territory in the south part of 
the town, near the main branch of Little River, and the 
hounds were set at work near the soapstone quarry on 
the E. H. Osborne farm. There were about thirty en- 
thusiastic men in the party, and they enjoyed the finest 
sport of the hunt between 9 and 10 in the morning on the 
Osborne farm. The dogs were quick to find a fresh scent, 
and then followed music dear to the hearts of the sports- 
men. A half-dozen hounds were soon in full cry, and 
the scurrying fox little realized what was in store for him. 
He kept to the woods for some time, and then ventured 
into the open and bounded over a stone wall close to a 
sleepy hunter, who realized what had happepned a few 
seconds later, when the dogs went, over the wall and 
disappeared down the hill toward the quarry. Others had 
seen him, however, and he was quickly turned about by 
two harmless shots. Back he came, close to his old track, 
and T. J. Cooley, of Westfield, urged him along at a 
faster gait with a charge of shot that evidently fell short 
John E. Cooney also emptied the contents of both barrels 
at the fleeting fox, and again he completed a circle, with 
the dogs making the woods resound with their excited 
cries. George Lloyd was true in his aim, and the bunch 
of animated fur went tumbling down the road. It was be- 
lieved the shot had caused the death of the fox, but no, he 
was up and away in an instant, though his life was 
slowly ebbing away. The hounds were soon upon him, 
and the brush was then seen dangling from the pocket of 
Clark Deering, who appropriated the pelt, evidently con- 
cluding that as long as he picked up the fox he should 
have the prize. It was Mr. Lloyd's fox, though, and 
rather than have a "scene," the action of Mr, Deering 
went unchallenged. This "drive" on the part of the dogs 
was the most exciting of the two days, and the fox must 
have made a circuit within a radius of a half-mile no 
less than three or four times. It was an unusual oc- 
currence and caused considerable excitement among the 
hunters. The fox was shot at six or seven times. There 
w^ere several other good runs during the day, and Virgil 
Lloyd killed his fox near the Isaac Richards place. Charles 
N. Lewis, of Westfield, toppled over a stray fox near the 
place where he attempted to dig out a inan, dog and fox 
last year, but he was unable to get sight of him again. 
Dogs were put on the trail, but stopped giving voice before 
going a great distance. No trace of the fox was found 
and it is the general opinion that it was another case of 
"sneaking" a "brush." Had the fox gone further the 
dogs would not have stopped. It is therefore safe to 
claim that three foxes were killed during the day. The 
membership of the club has materially increased this 
year, and is now not far from 105. — Springfield Re- 
publican. 
Continental All Age Stake. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
The entries for the Continental Field Trial Club's All 
Age Stake number in all twenty-seven. Ten subscrip- 
tions have been taken for the Free for All Subscription 
Stake : 
Mortimer — Robert Kelly's b., w. and t. setter dog 
(Eugene T. — Maud). 
Senator P. — ^J. W. Flynn's o. and w. pointer dog (Cap- 
tain B. — :Queen P.), 
V erona Lena.^ — V erona Kennels' b.. w. and t. setter 
bitch (Rudge Gladstone— Nellie R.). 
Joe^ — Avent & Duryea Kennels' b., av and t. setter 
dog ( ). 
Sioux — Avent & Duryea Kennels' b., w. and t. setter 
bitch (Count Gladstone IV. — Hester Pryne). 
Count Gladstone V.— Avent & Duryea Kennels' b., w. 
and t. setter dog (Count Gladstone IV. — Columbine). 
Prime Minister — Avent & Duryea Kennels' b., w. and 
t. setter dog (Count Gladstone IV. — Hester Pryne). 
Tony Man — Avent & Durj^ea Kennels' b., w. and t, 
setter dog (Tony Boy — May Blue). 
Roysterer — Avent & Duryea Kennels' b., w. and t. 
setter dog (Count Gladstone IV. — Hester Pryne). 
Earl Jingo — Erwin M. Beale's 1. and w. pointer dog 
(Jingo — Pearl's Dot). 
Bob Acres — George Crocker's o. and w. setter dog 
(Tony's Gale — Minnie T.). 
Minnie's Girl — George Crocker's o. and w. setter bitch 
(Antonio — A'linnie T.). 
Gilt Edge— George Crocker's lem. and w. setter dog 
(Count Gladstone IV. — Lillian Russell). 
Doctor Brown — G. L. Thomas' b., w. and t. setter 
dog (Count Featherstone — Topsey F.). 
Lady's Count — J. Douglas Law's b., w. and t. setter 
dog (Count Gladstone IV. — Dan's Lady). 
Jack — P, Lorillard, Jr.'s, b., w. and t. setter dog 
(Eugene T. — Maud). 
Geneva — P. Lorillard, Jr.'s, b., w. and t. bitch (Tony 
Boy — Lena Belle). 
Why Not — P. Lorillard, Jr.'s, b., w. and t. setter dog 
(Eugene T. — Miss Ruby). 
Selkirk Milo — Oakland Kennels' b., w. and t. setter 
dog (Selkirk Dan — Selkirk Tama). 
Count Hunter — Dr. C. T. Shoop's b., w. and t. setter 
dog (Count Gladstone IV. — Hunter's Queen). 
Sport's Gath — G. G. Williamson's b., w. and t. setter 
dog (Mark's Sport— Mark's Fleet). 
Oakley Hill — Chas. F. Hartmetz's b., w. and t. setter 
dog (Rodfield — Susie D.). 
Hal's Hope — Peterson & Bell's b. and w. setter bitch 
(Harold Skimpole — Hunter's Nellie Bly). 
Eldred Lark — Theo. Sturges' b., w. and t. setter bitch 
(Cincinnatus Pride — Antonia). 
Daughter Gladstone — W. T. Hunter's b., w. and t. 
setter bitch (Lady's Count Gladstone — Daughter Noble). 
Zephyr II. — ^J. S, Crane's b. and w. pointer bitch (Rip 
Rap— Jingo's Joy). 
Dot's Daisy — ^J. S. Crane's 1. and w. pointer bitch 
(Jingo— Dot's Pearl). 
Theo Sturges, Sec'y. 
Points and Flushes* 
The Philadelphia Dog Show Association desires to 
announce that Mr. Robert Toland has offered a silver cup 
for the best pointer at its forthcoming show. 
Who Shall Defend the Cup? 
The challenge from Sir Thomas Lipton for a match in 
igoi was received by the New York Y. C. and yachts- 
men generally with an amount of enthusiasm which made 
it certain that the task of defending the Cup would be 
no perfunctory one, but that so far as the finances were 
concerned there would be no trouble in raising any 
reasonable sum for the construction of a new defender, 
and, if necessary, the racing of Columbia as a trial boat 
during the season. Had the matter been laid before the 
club at the meeting of Oct. 17, at which the challenge 
was accepted, as it might with all propriety, a syndicate of 
representative men could easily have been organized on 
the spot to put up the required amount. Instead of this, 
the matter has, as usual, been taken out of the hands of 
the club and referred to a committee with power to do as 
it pleases. So far as can be .ascertained, it has up to date, 
three weeks after the meeting, done nothing, though there 
are various rumors afloat as to what it proposes to do. At 
a later meeting it was announced by Com. Ledyard that 
a defender would be built, but that the names of those 
interested could not be given out at present. This action, 
so similar to that in past years, has given rise to a report 
that a difference has arisen between two elements in the 
club, and that one party will build and run the new 
boat without the aid of the other. To put the story in 
concrete shape, it is said that the feeling which has existed 
between different owners in the 70ft. class through the 
season is so strgng that some of them, though anxious to 
take part in tjie defense of the Cup, will be barred from 
all opportunity' to do soj in particular it is rumored that 
Mr. Herman B. Duryea will not be connected with the 
new boat. ^ 
The private affairs of the New York Y. C. are not mat- 
ters of public interest, and if anj^ differences exist within 
the club it may be left to settle them as it pleases; but 
the defense of the America Cup is in every sense a 
national affair. The time has gone by when it could be 
conducted on the P. B. D. principle, by special com- 
mittees that were responsible neither to the club at large 
nor to the yachting public. The action in the present case, 
of delegating to a special committee powers which rightly 
belong to the club as a body, and of concealing matters 
which might and should be known to every member, is 
suspiciously like that attending the adoption of the new 
deed of gift in 1887 and the sitppressing of Lord Dun- 
raven's complaint in the matter of Defender's ballast in 
1895. The serious trouble which lias resulted in these two 
cases, as in many others, from this policy of secrecy and 
concealment, should be a warning against similar methods 
in the future. At the present time there seems to be no 
good reason why the defending syndicate should not be 
formed openly and the right man to manage the new 
boat chosen in public. There are certain things which 
it is not desirable to announce, but the knowledge of the 
ownership of the new boat and of the man who will com- 
mand her can be of no possible advantage to the chal- 
lenger. Should the Cup be lost through an error in the 
selection, the officers of the New York Y. C. will have to 
shoulder a very heavy responsibility. 
Capt. Sycamore on American Yachtmgf. 
In speaking of his recent trip to America, Capt. 
Sycamore, the captain of Shamrock II., said to the 
Glasgow correspondent of tlie Boston Herald: 
"Good sportsmen, and fond of salt water^, as I knew 
the Americans to be, I must admit that I was a trifle 
surprised to find in the course of my turn round how 
widespread the liking for yachting has become. It is 
not only the clubs of which we hear over here, but there 
seem to be hundreds of others about the islands and bays 
and creeks, and my impression was that the average 
American owner takes more direct interest in his sport 
and the boat than some of the gentlemen who keep the 
racing on this side going. This season the interest in 
American racing'seems to have centered principally in 
the class of one-design 70-footers. It is said they are 
one-design, and they certainly look it, but whether they 
are all of one speed is a very different matter. Frankly, 
I don't like them, for they are neither good as boats nor 
pretty to look at. Mark you, I do not say that they are 
not fast. Going at all free, they seemed to me to get 
through the water very smoothly and very quickly; but 
of course this opinion is pretty much guesswork, as they 
have only themselves to sail against. Their principal 
fault seems to me to be in the construction, and I am 
quite prepared to believe most of the stories told of 
the serious trouble they give in hard weather. So far as 
I have had an opportunity of judging, I should say that 
the difficulty has risen from an attempt to turn out ex- 
ceedingly light composite boats without making sure that 
the workmanship and the provision for taking up and 
distributing the strains were suflicient to enable them to 
stand the pull of their big sail spread. So far as their 
looks go, that is after all a trifle, for one can soon work 
up an admiration for any boat, provided only that she is 
fast enough. 
"I never had the slightest doubt," he said, "but that 
the Columbia-Shamrock races were won by the Ameri- 
can boat purely on her merits; but now, after seeing them 
both, I ani more than ever convinced that we never had 
a chance in anything of a breeze. The Columbia has, I 
think, the prettiest hull that ever I saw on a big boat, and 
I think that j'ou could no more bring Shamrock into 
condition to beat Columbia than you could put wings on 
her and teach her to fly. Whether Plerreshoff could im- 
prove on the Columbia or not I do not know — he has 
not done so in the 70-footers — but he has a grand boat 
there, and one that would take a lot of beating." 
